UCC gives telecoms two months to stop sale of airtime scratch cards

The Ugandan Communications Commission (UCC) has given telecommunications companies until end of June to phase out airtime scratch cards.

In a communication issued March 23, 2018, UCC directs telecommunications companies to commence the use of electronic airtime.

This follows a meeting held between telecommunications operators and UCC at the latter’s headquarters in Bugolobi on March 19.

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“It was agreed further that each telecommunications operator would by Wednesday 21 March, 2018 submit to the commission the details of the current stock of scratch cards including but not limited to the stock of scratch cards already purchased en-route to Uganda,” the statement signed by UCC ED Godfrey Mutabazi reads in part.

“The telecommunication operator would also provide to the commission a weighted average period in which they would have consumed all scratch cards available on the market and begin to sensitise their registered vendors about the phasing out of scratch cards on the Ugandan market,” the statement continues

Mutabazi also cautioned the operators to avoid any importation of scratch cards after June 30.